If you’re a parent looking for the right kind of mental health practitioner for your child, you may want to opt for a psychiatrist – especially one that’s trained and experienced in helping children and adolescents.
Why Choose a Psychiatrist?
A psychiatrist can work together with you to determine if medication is necessary for the optimal mental wellness of your child. This may include antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, mood stabilizers, and more. A psychiatrist is highly educated and experienced in the safe prescription of medications, which can make a drastic improvement in the symptoms of patients when prescribed correctly.
In many cases, a child or adolescent may need a combination of therapies, such as stimulants that can help relieve ADHD symptoms, plus talk therapy, for example, that focuses on skill-building around issues of importance to them. You may need to see more than one type of provider to get the right treatment plan.
At Denver Wellness Associates, for example, we begin by conducting extensive assessments – including relevant advanced testing – before working with you to decide on the most appropriate psychiatric treatment plan for your child or adolescent. We believe each person we treat is unique and requires customized mental health care that may include a variety of therapeutic approaches.
Common Psychiatric Conditions in Children & Adolescents
Once you have decided on a provider who specializes in child and adolescent psychiatry, rest assured they can treat an enormous range of mental health issues.
Among the most common psychiatric conditions we treat in children and adolescents are:
- Depression: Although one of the most common mental health disorders in the nation, depression can be difficult to recognize in children and adolescents. Especially in teens, depression can be expressed with anger and irritability. Depression is particularly concerning in youth because left untreated, it can negatively impact a child’s growth and development.
- Anxiety: Like depression, anxiety can be challenging to diagnose in children and teens. Your child may not be able to adequately communicate with you when they are feeling anxious. It often appears in sleep disturbances, difficulty concentrating, and sudden outbursts.
- ADHD: Symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder tend to appear early – as early as 3 years old! On top of that, no two children with ADHD have the same symptoms, which can range from mild to severe. Children with ADHD are very likely to continue to experience ADHD symptoms into adulthood. Early treatment can make a huge difference in your child’s life.
Even if you’re not sure what the problem may be, chances are, when you choose a psychiatrist to treat your child, it will be something they can diagnose and treat. The many mental health issues that can be treated by a psychiatrist include:
- Addictive behaviors
- Behavioral problems
- Body image issues
- Conduct disorder
- Eating disorders
- Gender identity
- Mood disorders
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Oppositional-defiant disorder
- Panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Schizophrenia
- Self-esteem
- Sleep disturbances
- Stress
- Substance abuse
- Suicidal ideation
- Trauma
- Violent outbursts
Pediatric Psychiatrist in Denver and Lakewood, CO
The psychiatric team at Denver Wellness Associates is led by Dr. Jeanne Theobald, a board-certified psychiatrist with advanced training and experience in the treatment of children and adolescents. Her areas of interest include working with youth and families surrounding the treatment of depression, anxiety, ADHD, autism, developmental delays, and school avoidance behaviors.
Contact Denver Wellness Associates in Denver and Lakewood, Colorado, to find out more about how our psychiatric team can help your child. Call or text us at (720) 724-3668, email info@denverwellness.com, or request an appointment now.
